The timing is all about the fiscal cliff. In a client note this morning, Macquarie analyst Ed Ditmire calls it a “shareholder-friendly move-up” of what would have been a first-quarter special dividend, “to eliminate the risk of dividend tax uncertainties in 2013.”

About Focus on Funds

As exchange-traded funds and other investing vehicles have ballooned in number, the task of figuring out what works well and what doesn’t has only gotten harder. Barrons.com’s Focus on Funds looks under the hood of ETFs, mutual funds and hedge funds for overlooked values, actionable ideas and the latest pitfalls for fund investors.

Chris Dieterich has covered the U.S. stock market for The Wall Street Journal and Dow Jones Newswires. He is a graduate of Regis University and the Missouri School of Journalism.